In London, the focus is on the challenges facing Italian businesses: growth, competitiveness and exports
The meeting was organised ahead of the seventh edition of the Made in Italy Summit 2026, the digital event dedicated to the ‘Italia’ brand organised by Il Sole 24 Ore, the Financial Times and SkyTG24, which will take place from 6 to 8 October
Stimulating growth, maintaining competitiveness and supporting exports: these are the challenges that Italian businesses have shown they are capable of tackling, even during this period of great geopolitical instability. ‘Made in Italy’ has managed to weather the headwinds, agreed the experts who took part in a round-table discussion organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore*, held on Thursday evening in London at the *Financial Times* headquarters.
“The answer to current problems is diversification,” said Fabio Cassese, Italian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, as he opened the proceedings. “Our businesses must not have to choose between Europe and the rest of the world, but must continue to broaden their horizons, always with the strong support of the institutions.”
The political stability of recent years has contributed to the success of ‘Made in Italy’. “Our country’s global reputation has completely changed,” emphasised Federico Silvestri, Chief Executive Officer of the Il Sole 24 ORE Group. “ “Italia is seen as a source of business opportunities, as we have seen recently with the Mercosur agreements, and is providing a major boost to a Europe that will, hopefully, be more responsive.”
The meeting was organised ahead of the seventh edition of the Made in Italy Summit 2026, the digital event dedicated to the ‘Italia’ brand organised by *Il Sole 24 Ore*, the *Financial Times* and *SkyTG24*, which will take place from 6 to 8 October. The event, entitled ‘Supporting growth in an era of instability’, will bring together entrepreneurs, top managers, politicians, economists and experts from Italy and abroad to analyse the growth prospects of the Italian manufacturing sector against a global backdrop characterised by geopolitical instability, rapid technological innovation, renewed trade tensions and the reconfiguration of supply chains.
In his speech at the London panel , Michele Pignotti, CEO of SACE, explained the main reasons why, in a challenging environment, Italian exports have grown more than those of other countries. “Companies have shown great determination to harness the power of innovation to gain a competitive edge, and a willingness to continue investing despite high interest rates,” he said. “Sometimes the best form of defence is attack.”
